'The Underground' Haven for Antique and Pop Culture Collectors

I love record stores. I have since I was a kid when "Musicland" in the mall was my closest cassette tape dealer.

But this is something else. This isn't your normal "record store" per se. It's an experience that vinyl lovers, pop culture collectors, and weirdos like me have been seeking and it's right under our noses.

Step into The Underground, a hidden gem in Downtown Clinton, IA.

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Discover The Underground in Downtown Clinton, IA

The Underground is a haven for pop culture enthusiasts, vintage collectors, and antique connoisseurs alike. Whether you're a vinyl junkie or a hippie at heart, they're going to help you reconnect with childhood memories, discover hard-to-find merch, and unearth little-known pop culture items.

Their Quad Cities area shop in Downtown Clinton, IA has a wide selection for you to explore.

I could spend all day in this joint.

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The Underground's Antiques and Collectibles

The Underground has a large selection of antiques and collectibles. If you love vintage toys or motorcycle nostalgia items, they've got it.

In the market for antique signs, beer signs, and vintage stereo equipment? It's a literal treasure trove of goodies.

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The Underground's Vinyl Collection

If you're an audiophile or a music enthusiast, The Underground is a great place for new and used vinyl records, CDs, and cassette tapes in all genres of music. From classic rock to jazz, funk to country...they even have some cool retro analog stereos that deserve to have a home.

Explore The Underground

This is going to sound like a commercial...but I promise it's unsolicited, unpaid, and sincere.

Every time I visit The Underground, there's always something new to discover. Not just new records or new collectibles, but new areas of the store that are just freaking cool. They're constantly revamping and making improvements.

This is not just a record store. It's a destination. One that I recommend you visit the next time you're in the area.

Coolest Store You've Ever Seen is in Eastern Iowa

This eastern Iowa store is the most eclectic place you'll ever experience and you'll find it in Clinton, Iowa. Underground 210

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Iowa's Island City

There is something unique about every town, but there is really something special about Sabula, IA. Known as "Iowa's Island City," Sabula is the only town in the state of Iowa that is entirely on an island. While not a lot of people have been to, or live in Sabula, it is a quaint little town nestled right on the Mississippi River.

Before we show you around "Iowa's Island City," let me give you the history of Sabula. Sabula was established in 1835, according History of Jackson County, Iowa, Volume 1 by James Whitcomb Ellis. Isaac Dorman and a man named Hinkley crossed the river from the Illinois side on a log and decided to settle on what is now Sabula. An Ohio couple, James and Margaret Woods would settle on Sabula about a year later in April of 1836. Their son, Dr. E. A. Woods would purchase Hinkley's interest in the claim. Charles Swan and W. H. Brown would soon purchase Dorman's interest. The three men, Woods, Swan and Brown later had the land plotted in 1837.

The idea behind plotting the land was because there was no town between Lyons (north Clinton) and Bellevue. The plot of the new town was recorded in Dubuque as this area was part of Dubuque county at the time, according History of Jackson County, Iowa, Volume 1 by James Whitcomb Ellis.

According to Island City Harbor's website, Sabula went through a few names before landing on the official town name. In 1837, Sabula was first called Carrollport. Residents of the town didn't like the name because there was a man's name who was Carroll who had a bad reputation. The town changed its name to Charleston, after early settler Charles Swan. The only issue was that there was already a town called Charleston in Iowa which caused much confusion.

In 1846 the settler’s decided to find a name. Island City Harbor's website says that because of it’s sandy soil, William Hubble suggested the town be called "Sabulum" which is Latin for sand. A party was being held around the time the town name was being discussed, when a woman, supposed to be Miss Harriet Hudson, suggested the town be called Sabula as it was easier to pronounce and sounded more elegant, according History of Jackson County, Iowa, Volume 1 by James Whitcomb Ellis.

Sabula did not actually become an island until 1939. According to Wikipedia, in the 1930's, the Army Corps of Engineers constructed the lock and dam system. In 1939, Lock and Dam No. 13 between Clinton, IA and Fulton, IL was built which caused the bottomlands west of the town permanently flooded. With the Mississippi River east of the town, this created the "Island City." A levee was built around Sabula in 1957 for protection, according to Island City Harbor's website. This also allowed for the south sand pit to be turned into a boat harbor.

I would like to thank my mom Beth, her fiancé Matt, my brother Nolan and my wife Ellie for accompanying me to Sabula. We always have a blast on our trips and this one was no exception.

It's now time to introduce you to Sabula, Iowa, Iowa's Island City.

Source: ‘The Underground’ Haven for Antique and Pop Culture Collectors in Eastern Iowa